VARANASI, Sept. 18 -- Defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath led a galaxy of leaders in kickstarting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday celebrations across Uttar Pradesh from Modi's parliamentary constituency Varanasi on Thursday. The defence minister and the chief minister flagged off the 'Seva Sankalp Bike Yatra,' from Varanasi, the prime minister's 'karmabhoomi' (field of duty) to his 'janmabhoomi' (birthplace) Vadnagar, and launched the month-long Seva Sankalp Abhiyan, which commemorates Modi's 25 years in public life. Speaking on the occasion, Rajnath Singh said India's economy was among the "Fragile Five" when Modi had assumed office as PM in 2014 but was now among the "Fabulous Five" economies of the world. If the West Asia crisis had not arisen, India would have been among the world's three fabulous economies by now, Singh said. For his part, Adityanath said the prime minister is scripting the saga of a New India through his spirit of service, resolve and dedicated endeavour. He also said that Modi's leadership, a secure India now engages with the world on equal terms. Rajnath Singh highlighted growth in defence production, saying it had "increased from around Rs 40,000 crore before 2014 to more than Rs 1.8 lakh crore, while defence exports had risen from around Rs 600 crore to more than Rs 40,000 crore". He claimed that the country had received more than USD 843 billion in foreign direct investment between 2014 and 2026. "India was not taken seriously before. Today, whatever India says, the world listens attentively. PM Modi taught the people of India to be proud of their civilization and to believe in their capabilities. Where people's thinking ends, Modi's vision begins," the defence minister said. Noting that Modi has been discharging the responsibilities of constitutional offices with utmost dedication for the past 25 years, Singh said "only half an innings has been played so far" and he still has decades to serve the country. Commenting on the Varanasi to Vadnagar and the Vadnagar yatras, Singh said, "The divinity of Kashi is going to Gujarat. The faith of Gujarat is coming to Kashi. This journey between the birthplace and the land of work is remarkable. This journey involves not just an exchange of water, but also an exchange of emotions. The milestones of this journey are as important as the destination." Crediting Modi for taking India on a "new path" of development, Rajnath Singh said his legacy would not merely be what was recorded in government files but what remained in people's memories and emotions, and cited the removal of Article 370, efforts against Naxalism, poverty alleviation, women's representation in Parliament and evacuation of Indians from conflict zones as the issues that, according to him, would figure in that legacy. The defence minister further said, "When the 2001 earthquake struck Gujarat, there were many concerns about the situation. There were questions about how Gujarat would stand on its own feet. But Modi not only transformed the situation, but also transformed it from a Test match to an ODI. Where others see problems, our Prime Minister sees solutions. This quality of his is moving the country forward." "Twelve years ago when Modi took oath (as PM) for the first time, no one had imagined that the coming decade would be like this. Before 2014, India used to let go of opportunities. From mobile phones to Brahmos missiles, everything runs on chips, but at that time there was a Congress government, they did not give permission, a company went bankrupt, a factory could not be set up. Business worth crores went out of the country. We lost a huge employment opportunity. When the prime minister started talking about semiconductors, many questions were asked. But, under the leadership of Modiji, last year for the first time, we made the country's first semiconductor chip, that is, Made in India," Singh said. He has demonstrated to the world that India possesses world-class technology, Rajnath Singh said, adding that "where there is a will, there is a way"-this is the true power of leadership. For his part, Adityanath said under Modi's leadership, there has been a tangible transformation in the lives of the poor. "Housing has been provided to four crore people, while the construction of 12 crore toilets has bolstered the dignity and respect of women. Through the Ujjwala Yojana, cooking gas has reached crores of families. Under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, eligible families have gained access to medical treatment worth up to Rs.5 lakh annually," he said. The chief minister wished the PM good health, longevity, and continued service to the nation. He described the bike yatra from Varanasi to Vadnagar as a campaign dedicated to commemorating Modi's life and journey of service. He noted that the prime minister's 25-year journey of dedicated service will be completed on October 7, 2026. Modi took the oath as the Chief Minister of Gujarat on October 7, 2001. He has advanced this journey without stopping, bending, or wavering, guided by the mantra of 'Charaiveti-Charaiveti' (keep moving forward), Adityanath said. Linking Modi's tenure with the redevelopment of major religious and cultural centres, citing the transformation of Kashi Vishwanath Dham and the construction of the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, Adityanath further said these developments represented the fulfilment of long-standing aspirations associated with India's religious heritage. The chief minister said that under the leadership of Modi, Yoga gained global recognition, and the Kumbh was recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Apart from Rajnath Singh and Yogi Adityanath, those present at the Rudraksh International Cooperation and Convention Centre included Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Union minister for food processing industries Chirag Paswan, Union minister of state for finance and BJP state president Pankaj Chaudhary, yatra convenor and Khajuraho MP Vishnu Dutt Sharma; Andhra Pradesh MPs Lavu Sri Krishna and Satish Babu; BJP national secretary and UP co-in-charge Jagdish Bhai Patel. They also viewed an exhibition '25 Years: From Public Service to Nation Service,' which chronicles the prime minister's life. Also present on the occasion were UP ministers Anil Rajbhar, JPS Rathore, Dayashankar Mishra 'Dayalu', Ravindra Jaiswal, and Hansraj Vishwakarma; MLAs Saurabh Srivastava, Neelkanth Tiwari, and Avadhesh Singh; BJYM state president Rohit Mishra; and BJP regional president Ashok Chaurasia, among others. Defence minister Rajnath Singh and chief minister Yogi Adityanath offered prayers at the Kashi Vishwanath temple on the occasion, performing jalabhishek (ritual bathing with water) and aarti....